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Storm WildEye Swim Shad 03 (Shad, Size- 3)

Shad is a type of fish, much valued as a sport fish

The wet fly swing is the most effective way to fish for Shad. Throw your heavy sink tip upstream at about a 45-degree angle and let the fly continue to sink without drag until it is hanging down below you. Once the fly is below you, wait 20-30 seconds before recasting as Shad will often take the fly on the dangle. Shad strike the fly with a vengeance and it is easy to over-react and set the hook so hard that the fly rips through the thin membrane around the mouth. Due to the ferocity of the strike, Shad automatically hook themselves. You'll know when a fish is on and from that point on, just reel them in. Applying too much pressure will result in lost fish.

Fly fishing for shad isn't on the top of the list for a lot of fly fishers, but if you're on a river during a run it's definitely worth giving these often overlooked fish a shot.

When fly fishing for shad, a small steelhead rod with a shooting head will allow you to handle some of the bigger fish in the school.

This site main focus is on shad fishing

In the Western US, the Colombia and Sacramento rivers are the best places to fish shad.[2]

In the Eastern US, the best place to find shad is in the Connecticut river. However, shad can be found in rivers as far south as Florida.

How to Catch Shad: 13 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

The wet fly swing is the most effective way to fish for Shad. Throw your heavy sink tip upstream at about a 45-degree angle and let the fly continue to sink without drag until it is hanging down below you. Once the fly is below you, wait 20-30 seconds before recasting as Shad will often take the fly on the dangle. Shad strike the fly with a vengeance and it is easy to over-react and set the hook so hard that the fly rips through the thin membrane around the mouth. Due to the ferocity of the strike, Shad automatically hook themselves. You'll know when a fish is on and from that point on, just reel them in. Applying too much pressure will result in lost fish.

After a fun day on Saturday, I dedicated much of Sunday to fishing for shad (great crab bait) on the Willamette River with a couple of friends. We took my boat, launching from Meldrum Bar around 6:30 AM. The weather was calm with mostly cloudy skies and a temperature in the low 50's F. The river was extremely high, making launching the boat more challenging than usual. The upper part of the ramp was covered in water, making the dock inaccessible. After waiting for a couple boats ahead of us, we managed to launch my boat by driving it off the trailer while the truck was in about 18 inches of water. One positive of the high water is we were able to run the boat over the bar, which was covered by eight feet of water. The water was fairly warm at about 57°F.

Delaware River Shad Fishing Reports - 2016 - New Jersey

The lake and the pond were planted recently with Mt. Lassen trout. Anglers are beginning to have luck while trolling in the lake and fishing in the ponds for trout. The bait of choice right now for those trolling is Speedy Shiners. For those fishing in the pond, most of them have preferred to use Power Bait. Bass fishermen continue to have luck while fishing shad imitating lures along island tops or main lake points. Late fall is a great time to target bluff banks found throughout the lake and with all the trout plants an angler searching for a trophy bass may want to give a swimbait a try.

You can catch as many as you want because they’re invasive (though you still need a fishing license). Most of the people who fish for shad are port fishermen who use them as bait to catch sturgeon and crab, according to Jimmy Watts of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Maryland Fish Facts: American Shad

American shad are a schooling and highly migratory species

In contrast with the morning bite in which we caught the vast majority of our fish at just two locations at which the fish “hunkered down” and allowed us to catch from just a handful of locations, this afternoon’s bite was quite different. This afternoon, we primarily followed birds which were on top of active fish pushing shad to the surface, and we spot–hopped based on where the birds indicated the fish were.

You can catch as many as you want because they’re invasive (though you still need a fishing license). Most of the people who fish for shad are port fishermen who use them as bait to catch sturgeon and crab, according to Jimmy Watts of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.